Expenses middleman
Aasmah Mir's standing in for Victoria today - and she's written this for our blog:-
"This morning, we'll speak to the man who brokered the deal with the Telegraph for the leaked expenses information.. Henry Gewante... How did he get involved? Why did he get involved? Which papers did he approach? And how does he feel now? If you want to ask him a question you can call after 10. 0500 909 693
Plus, Andy Murray says it's "unacceptable" he is the only British man left in the Wimbledon draw. Four British men and two women lost in the first round. He says it's 'disappointing' and that some of the male players just "aren't at the same level as a lot of guys." Is he right? Or is one good British player enough?
Plus your chance to talk to the new defence secretary Bob Ainsworth."
This morning, we'll also hear from a family who can't afford to live in Spain anymore because of the exchange rate and current economic climate. You can see a film of the Candlin Family that our reporter Stephen Chittenden made below
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You can read more about their story on BBC News
We'll also hear from another family who say they will stay because they'd rather be poor in the sunshine than reasonably well off in the cold British climes.
© MMX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~10~RS~)
Comments
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Andy Murray might like to consider his own personal absorption of huge amounts of LTA funds that might have been better used nurturing young people in to tennis who come from families who could never afford to do it. From an article at the weekend we learn that he demanded his family send him to Barcelona to train, when he was 15. Lucky him. Give all the funds back he has been given to pay for Brad Gilbert and other coaches, now he is winning top prizes maybe he would like to consider creating an Andy Murray Scholarship?
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Not John Mann again - does he live in the 5 Live studios?
Despite everything that has been exposed and despite Gordon Brown's repeated promises of greater transparency, MPs will continue to censor key details from their expenses when they are next to be made public.
Incredible.
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John Mann. If he is so sqeaky could he not have stood for Speaker?
Fed up with all this shouty stuff on the phone in and now on Aasmah who, by the way, is sorely missed and I think should have her own morning show. :-)
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Both phone-ins have been people shouting over each other this morning, it's tedious and hard to follow. I wish they'd sort it out.
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I made exactly the same point about John Mann yesterday, Carrie. If he's so holier than thou etc then why didn't he stand for Speaker himself instead of petulantly spoiling his ballot paper? Stupid man.
Agree also that it's such a treat to have Aasmah on air - so easy on the ear!
Zelda - I'm on my 4th radio this month; thrown so many out of the window in frustration!
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I agree with Sarnia - John Mann could claim housing allowance with all the time he spends in Five Live studios. Why is this one MP allowed so much airtime? Does he have influential friends at the station?
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Oh dear Sarnia - I haven't gone that far yet but I feel your pain!
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I don't understand the reaction to this man. Over the past few weeks the overriding opinion has been of disgust and anger towards the MPs and their attempts at covering up etc.
This man who didn't make a penny and got the information out in the open is suddenly now the villain?
The point is, surely, that this information (non-censored) has been made public?
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Can't you get anyone else but John Mann ?He was on Newsnight 12 hours ago.
He seems to be becoming a one man self publicity machine.
Who was the ridiculous scouser guy who said the PR guy should go to prison ? Someone close to and trying to defend an MP I suspect.
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I thought the Scouse man sounded a bit like Derek Hatton!
Joke - mods I am not accusing him really!
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About the English people, living in Costa Blanca... well I´m a Spanish who has his second house in that area. I think it´s a mistake to come to Spain with the idea to live a dream because the cost of living is much lower than UK.
There´s the beach but nothing else for them, and the lack of integration contributes to it. The huge getto in built and of course with the crisis all is getting empty currently.
I would have come here with a 2-3 stay no more. Only with the purpose of doing a vacation time but not for living, even for the Spanish it´s hard to survive!
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Firstly,may I say how much I admire this Man Henry Gewante for his honesty and willingness to see both sides of the coin.
I have a poem re the subject being discussed, namely the Government and it's MP's who have been in the limelight.
A limerick:
There once was a government who
Put self interest above me and you
From free housing to moats
Now they've all burned their boats
And resigned,as that's all they can do !
Jo Sparkes
Norfolk UK
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you would never get a serena or venus williams make it in tennis in this country thats a fact the kids in inner city areas can not afford to play tennis
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The Williams sisters didn't have money either, jimmy-dean. They had an ambitious father - don't you know their story?
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sarnia i do know there story there father had a vision and phillosophy for his daughters and learnt from reading books himself and putting his own methods when most people thought he was some sort of idiot and dreamer and laughed at him how that has come back to haunt them the thing i was trying to say maybe i didnt put it across properly was kids like serena williams in this country have no chance with the present strategy in this country that is aimed at those kids who come from a middle class white background where mummy and daddy can pay for coaching the kids in our inner city areas black,white,brown dont have a hope of getting a crack at the big time no matter how talented and dedicated they may be with the fire in there belly to become champions as the game of tennis is not a street level game thats why most kids from these areas go on and become footballers,cricketers,boxers and athletic runners cos they can play these sports on the street you dont get many rich kids competeing with these kids at these sports cos there played on a street with very littlle money
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It's irrelevent whether Gewante was paid for his services or not.
Of course it was important for the public to know about these expense claims by MP's but it didn't require this right-wing opportunist or a paper like the Daily Telegraph to reveal all!
If there was a genuine not for profit 'free press' in the UK that combines left versus right articles and analysis then these revelations could have been exposed years ago. Plus if an underground BBC Panorama team can go underground and reveal Paedophile rings for example then it wouldn't have been too much trouble for some probing investigative journalist to reveal these details months ago.
This was a right wing corportate attack against a right wing servile Parliament that has successfully diverted public attention the failure of right wing economic policies. It was also done in the knowledge albeit Tory MP,s were exposed at well that it would have caused maximum damage to a pathetic right wing Labour government which the recent Euro and local polls attested!
It won't stop here though!These opportunists will start on the BBC next when the MP saga is fully exhausted. You journalists and presenters who bring us the 'alleged' news every day shoul;d come clean now and reveal all before the Torygraph does it for you
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"right-wing opportunist" ? Yet another conspiracy post from this contributor.
On what do you base your assertion that Henry is right-wing?
And, more the to the point, so what if he is?
Your continual bashing and smearing of anyone or anything you deem to be right-wing as contemptible at best and evil at worse is, frankly, tiresome.
The reason that the Telegraph was chosen was because the paper agreed to disclose ALL MPs' (not MP's as you have typed - there was more than one) expenses irrespective of party allegiance.
Other papers wanted to concentrate on outing MPs from only one party.
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brits in Spain the problem is the brits com here thinking they are the best in the world they never most of them learn Spanish and only mix with the brits
And they become builders & pool cleaners
gardeners and work for the british with out paying tax or there stamps, but now there is crises like the rest of EEC the older british are leaving or can not pay for gardeners and pool cleaners these persons have no work the british that are legal will see out the present bad times
I have my own estate agent office yes sale are not good but if you do your job right and no the law here in Spain you will come out on top . I am married to a Spanish lady and i mean lady we have 3 boys age from5,17,18 they are well schooled in a spanish school I WOULD NOT COME BACK TO THE UK,every time i here 5 live you here of persons being kill or raped just because there in the wrong place at the wrong time what as happen to the uk in last 21 yrs i have been in Spain. Spain as its problems but not to the extent as the uk may be you should do a program on the ilegal brits who work here in Spain I feel very strong about this and probley will upset a few pepole here in Spain hope this will be aired
Max Menzies (Spain Costa Blanca denia)
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Sarnia.
Sorry to be 'tiresome' but if you read my thread again it answers all your key points particulary about the Telegraph revealing all MP's and the reason why they did so.
As for upon what assertion is 'Henry' right wing. He admits it! Maybe you should read all newspapers and not just mainstream papers to find out these things and if you do so then you've probably missed it.
Regarding conspiracies! There is a conspiracy behind every news headline we hear today and that is to obscure what should be the real headlines!
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